trunkfish
Armored reef dweller
A trunkfish is a small tropical fish encased in a rigid, box-like shell of fused bony plates, giving it a distinctive angular shape.
The shell leaves only the fins, mouth, and tail free to move.
Found in warm Atlantic and Pacific waters, trunkfish are also called boxfish or cowfish, the latter for the horn-like projections some species sport above their eyes.
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- bony platesHard skeletal outer armor
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- finsSwimming appendages
- gillsAquatic respiratory organs
hexagonal · small mouth · rigid body · tail fin · pectoral fins · scutes · keels · spines
Calcium carbonate marine ecosystem
- CaribbeanTropical Atlantic region
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- Indo-PacificCombined ocean region
- lagoonSheltered coastal shallows
seagrass · mangrove · shallow water · warm water · sandy bottom · protected waters · tide pools
Seen or patterned
- colorfulFull of varied hues
- yellowHue between green and orange
- bluePrimary color; also sad
- polka-dotRound mark in patterns
honeycomb pattern · boxy · angular · ornate · striking · iridescent · mottled
Suspended without support
- bottom feedingConsuming from the lowest level
- territorialDefensive about owned space
- solitaryExisting alone, apart
- grazingFeeding on pasture
Community surrounding coral structures
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
- moray eelSerpentine marine predator
- sharkCartilaginous marine predator
- detritivoreEats dead organic material
carapace
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- bony platesHard skeletal outer armor
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- finsSwimming appendages
gills · hexagonal · small mouth · rigid body · tail fin · pectoral fins · scutes · keels · spines
coral reef
Calcium carbonate marine ecosystem
- CaribbeanTropical Atlantic region
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- Indo-PacificCombined ocean region
lagoon · seagrass · mangrove · shallow water · warm water · sandy bottom · protected waters · tide pools
spotted
Seen or patterned
polka-dot · honeycomb pattern · boxy · angular · ornate · striking · iridescent · mottled
hovering
Suspended without support
- bottom feedingConsuming from the lowest level
- territorialDefensive about owned space
- solitaryExisting alone, apart
grazing · puffing · jet propulsion · cautious
reef ecosystem
Community surrounding coral structures